thee. Without doubt, he is advancing with speed against us, avoiding
other combatants. Do thou, O Karna, proceed against him, for there is no
other bowman (among us that can do so). I do not behold any arrangements
made for his protection, either on his flanks or at his rear. He
advanceth alone against thee. Look after thy success now. Thou alone art
able to encounter the two Krishnas in battle. Proceed, therefore, against
Dhananjaya. Thou art the equal of Bhishma, of Drona, of Drona's son, of
Kripa. Do thou resist in this great battle the advancing Savyasaci.
Indeed, O Karna, slay this Dhananjaya that resembles a snake frequently
darting out its tongue, or a roaring bull, or a tiger in the forest.
There, those kings, those mighty car-warriors of the Dhritarashtra's
army, through fear of Arjuna, are quickly flying away, regardless of one
another. Save thee, O Suta's son, there is no other man, O hero, that
can, in battle, dispel the fears of those retreating combatants. All
those Kurus, O tiger among men, obtaining thee as their refuge in this
battle, stand depending on thee and desirous of thy protection. Mustering
thy great prowess, O mighty-armed one, proceed against Vrishni's race,
who is always gratified by the diadem-decked (Arjuna)."
"'Karna said, "Thou seemest now to be in thy usual frame of mind and thou
art now agreeable to me. Do not, O mighty-armed one, entertain any fear
of Dhananjaya. Behold the might of my arms today, and behold my skill.
Single-handed, I will today destroy the mighty host of the Pandavas, as
also those two lions among men, the two Krishnas! I say this truly unto
thee. I will never return from the field today without slaying two
heroes. Or, slain by those two, I shall today sleep on the field of
battle. Victory is uncertain in battle. Slaying or slain, I shall today
achieve my purpose."
"'Shalya said, "All great car-warriors, O Karna, say that this foremost
of car-warriors, (Arjuna), even when alone, is invincible. When again, he
is protected by Krishna, who will venture to vanquish him?"
"'Karna said, "As far as I have heard, such a superior car-warrior has
never been born on earth! Behold my prowess, since I will contend in
battle with even that Partha who is such. This prince of Kuru's line,
this foremost of car-warriors, careers in battle, borne by his steeds
white in hue. Perhaps he will despatch me to Yama's abode today. Know,
however, that with Karna's death, these all will be exterminated. The two
arms of this prince are never covered with sweat. They never tremble.
They are massive and covered with cicatrices. Firm in the use of weapons,
he is possessed of great skill and endued with great lightness of hands.
Indeed, there is no warrior equal to the son of Pandu. He taketh a large
number of arrows and shooteth them as if they were one. Quickly fixing
them on the bow-string, he propelleth them to the distance of two miles.
They always fall on the foe. What warriors is there on earth that is
equal to him? That Atiratha, endued with great activity, with Krishna as
his ally, gratified the god Agni at Khandava. There, on that occasion,
the high-souled Krishna obtained his discus, and Savyasaci, the son of
Pandu, obtained his bow Gandiva. There that mighty-armed one, endued with
might that knows no decay, also obtained his terrible car unto which are
yoked those white steeds, as also his two great celestial and
inexhaustible quivers, and many celestial weapons, from the God of Fire.
In the region of Indra he obtained his conch Devadatta and slew
innumerable Daityas, and all the Kalakeyas. Who is there on earth that is
superior to him? Possessed of greatness of soul, he gratified Mahadeva
himself in fair fight, and obtained from him the terrible and mighty
weapon Pasupata that is capable of destroying the three worlds. The
several Regents of the world, united together gave him their weapons of
immeasurable energy, with which that lion among men quickly destroyed in
battle those united Asuras, the Kalakhanjas. So also, in Virata's city,
moving on a single car he vanquished all of us, and snatched from us that
wealth of kine, and took from all the foremost of car-warriors (portions
of) their garments. Challenging that foremost of Kshatriyas, that hero
having him of Vrishni's race for his ally, that warrior who is endued
with such energy and such attributes, I regard myself, O Shalya, to be
the foremost of persons in all the world in point of courage. He is,
again, protected by that Keshava of great energy, who is Narayana himself
and who is without a rival, that high-souled Vasudeva, that
ever-victorious Vishnu armed with conch, discus, and mace, whose
attributes all the world united together, cannot (in narrating) exhaust
in 10,000 years. Beholding the two Krishnas together on the same car,
fear entereth my heart together with courage. Partha is the foremost of
all bowmen, while Narayana is unrivalled in encounters with the discus.
Even such are Vasudeva, and the son of Pandu. Indeed, the mountains of
Himavat may move from the spot where they stand but not the two Krishnas.
Both of them are heroes, possessed of great skill, firm in the use of
weapons, and mighty car-warriors. Both of them have adamantine frames.
Who else, O Shalya, save myself, would proceed against Phalguna and
Vasudeva that are even such? The desire cherished by me today, viz., that
of a battle with the son of Pandu, O ruler of the Madras, will be
fulfilled without delay. Soon will that wonderful and matchless and
beautiful battle take place. Either I will overthrow those two in battle
today, or the two Krishnas will today overthrow me." Saying these words
unto Shalya, Karna, that slayer of foes, began to utter loud roars in
that battle, like those of the clouds. Approaching then thy son, that
foremost one among the Kurus, and saluted respectfully by him, Karna said
unto that prince as also unto those two mighty-armed warriors, Kripa and
the Bhoja chief Kritavarma, and the ruler of the Gandharvas with his son,
and the preceptors and his own younger brothers, and all the
foot-soldiers and horsemen and elephant-riders, these words, "Rush
towards Acyuta and Arjuna and close up their path all around, and cause
them to be tired with exertion, so that, ye lords of the earth, I may
easily slay those two after ye all will have mangled them deeply."
Saying, "So be it!" those foremost of heroes, desirous of slaying Arjuna,
speedily proceeded against him. Those mighty car-warriors then, obeying
the behest of Karna, began to strike Dhananjaya with innumerable arrows
in that battle. Like the great ocean containing a vast quantity of water
receiving all rivers with their tributaries Arjuna received all those
warriors in battle. His foes could not notice when he fixed his excellent
arrows on the bow-string and when he let them off. All that could be seen
was that men and steeds and elephants, pierced with the arrows sped by
Dhananjaya, continually fell down, deprived of life. Like men with
diseased eyes that are unable to gaze at the sun, the Kauravas on that
occasion could not gaze at Jaya who seemed to be possessed of the energy
of the all-destroying Sun that rises at the end of the Yuga, having
arrows for his rays, and Gandiva for his beautiful circular disc. Smiling
the while, Partha with his own showers of arrows cut off the excellent
arrows sped at him by those mighty car-warriors. In return, he struck
them with innumerable arrows, drawing his bow Gandiva to a complete
circle. As the sun of fierce rays between the months of Jyaishtha and
Ashadha easily drieth up the waters (of the earth), even so Arjuna,
baffling the arrows of his foes, consumed thy troops, O king of kings!
Then Kripa, and the chief of the Bhojas, and thy son himself shooting
showers of shafts, rushed towards him. Drona's son also, that mighty
car-warrior, rushed towards him, shooting his shafts. Indeed, all of them
rained their arrows on him, like the clouds pouring torrents of rain on a
mountain. The son of Pandu, however, with great activity and speed, cut
off with his own shafts those excellent arrows sped at him with great
care in that dreadful battle by those accomplished warriors desirous of
slaying him, and pierced the chest of each of his adversaries with three
shafts. Having arrows for his fierce rays, the Arjuna sun, with gandiva
drawn to its fullest stretch constituting his corona, looked resplendent,
as he scorched his foes, like the Sun himself between the months of
Jyeshtha and Ashadha, within his bright corona. Then Drona's son pierced
Dhananjaya with ten foremost of shafts, and Keshava with three, and the
four steeds of Dhananjaya with four, and showered many shafts on the Ape
on Arjuna's banner. For all that, Dhananjaya cut off the full drawn bow
in his adversary's hand with three shafts, the head of his driver with a
razor-faced arrow, and his four steeds with his four other shafts and his
standard with three other arrows and felled him from his car. The son of
Drona then, filled with wrath, took up another costly bow, bright as the
body of Takshaka, and decked with gems and diamonds and gold, and
resembling a mighty snake caught from the foot of a mountain. Stringing
that bow as he stood on the earth, and bringing out one after another
shafts and weapons, Drona's son, that warrior who excelled in many
accomplishments, began to afflict those two unvanquished and foremost of
men and pierce them from a near point with many shafts. Then those mighty
car-warriors, Kripa and Bhoja and thy son, standing at the van of battle,
fell upon and shrouded that bull among the Pandavas, shooting showers of
shafts, like clouds shrouding the dispeller of darkness. Possessed of
prowess equal to that of the thousand-armed (Kartavirya), Partha then
showered his shafts on Kripa's bow with arrow fixed on it, his steeds,
his standard, and his driver, like the wielder of the thunder in days of
yore showering his shafts on (the asura) Vali. His weapons destroyed by
Partha's shafts, and his standard also having been crushed in that great
battle, Kripa was afflicted with as many thousands of arrows by Arjuna as
Ganga's son Bhishma before them (on the day of his fall) by the same
diademdecked warrior. The valiant Partha then, with his shafts, cut off
the standard and the bow of thy roaring son. Destroying next the handsome
steeds of Kritavarma, he cut off the latter's standard as well. He then
began to destroy with great speed the elephants of the hostile force, as
also its cars with their steeds and drivers and bows and standards.
Thereupon that vast host of thine broke into a hundred parts like an
embankment washed off by the waters. Then Keshava, quickly urging
Arjuna's car, placed all his afflicted foes on his right side. Then other
warriors, desirous of an encounter, with their well-equipped cars bearing
lofty standards, followed Dhananjaya who was proceeding with great speed
like Indra proceeding for the slaughter of Vritra. Then those mighty
car-warriors, Shikhandi and Satyaki and the twins, proceeding in the
direction of Dhananjaya, checked those foes and, piercing them with keen
arrows, uttered terrible roars. Then the Kuru heroes and the Srinjayas,
encountering one another with rage, slew one another with straight shafts
of great energy, like the Asuras and the celestials in days of yore in
great battle. Elephant-warriors and horsemen and car-warriors, - all
chastisers of foes, - inspired with desire of victory or impatient of
proceeding to heaven, fell fast on the field. Uttering loud shouts, they
pierced one another vigorously with well-shot arrows. In consequence of
those high-souled warriors of great courage shooting their arrows at one
another in that dreadful battle and by that means causing a darkness
there, the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary became
enveloped in gloom and the very effulgence of the sun became totally
shrouded.'"
80
"Sanjaya said, 'Then, O king, Dhananjaya, desirous of rescuing Kunti's
son Bhima who, assailed by many, foremost of warriors of the Kuru army,
seemed to sink (under that attack), avoided, O Bharata, the troops of the
Suta's son and began, with his shafts, to despatch those hostile heroes
(that were opposed to Bhima) to the regions of death. Successive showers
of Arjuna's shafts were seen overspread on the sky, while others were
seen to slay thy army. Filling the welkin with his shafts that resembled
dense flights of feathery creatures, Dhananjaya, O monarch, at that time,
became the very Destroyer unto the Kurus. With his broad-headed arrows,
and those equipped with heads flat and sharp as razors, and cloth-yard
shafts of bright polish, Partha mangled the bodies of his foes and cut
off their heads. The field of battle became strewn with falling warriors,
some with bodies cut and mangled, some divested of armour and some
deprived of heads. Like the great Vaitarani (separating the regions of
life from those of the dead), the field of battle, O king, became uneven
and impassable and unsightly and terrible, in consequence of steeds and
cars and elephants, which struck with Dhananjaya's shafts, were mangled
and crushed and cut off in diverse ways. The earth was also covered with
broken shafts and wheels and axles, and with cars that were steedless or
that had their steeds and others that were driverless or that had their
drivers. Then four hundred well-trained and ever-furious elephants,
excited with wrath, and ridden by warriors cased in mail of golden hue
and adorned with ornaments of gold, and urged by fierce guides with
pressure of heels and toes, fell down, struck by the diadem-decked Arjuna
with his shafts, like loosened summits, peopled with living creatures, of
gigantic mountains. Indeed, the earth became covered with (other) huge
elephants struck down by Dhananjaya with his arrows. Like the sun
piercing through masses of clouds, Arjuna's car passed through dense
bodies of elephants with juicy secretions flowing down their bodies and
looking like masses of clouds. Phalguna caused his track to be heaped up
with slain elephants and steeds, and with cars broken in diverse ways,
and with lifeless heroes deprived of weapons and engines and of armour,
as also with arms of diverse kinds loosened from hands that held them.
The twang of Gandiva became tremendously loud, like the peal of thunder
in the welkin. The (Dhartarashtra) army then, smitten with the shafts of
Dhananjaya, broke, like a large vessel on the bosom of the ocean
violently lashed by the tempest. Diverse kinds of fatal shafts, sped from
Gandiva, and resembling burning brands and meteors and thunderbolts,
burnt thy army. That mighty host, thus afflicted with Dhananjaya's
shafts, looked beautiful like a blazing forest of bamboos on a mountain
in the night. Crushed and burnt and thrown into confusion, and mangled
and massacred by the diadem-decked Arjuna with his arrows, that host of
thine then fled away on all sides. Indeed, the Kauravas, burnt by
Savyasaci, dispersed on all sides, like animals in the great forest
frightened at a forest conflagration. The Kuru host then (that had
assailed Bhimasena) abandoning that mighty-armed hero, turned their faces
from battle, filled with anxiety. After the Kurus had been routed, the
unvanquished Vibhatsu, approaching Bhimasena, stayed there for a moment.
Having met Bhima and held a consultation with him, Phalguna informed his
brother that the arrows had been extracted from Yudhishthira's body and
that the latter was perfectly well.
"'With Bhimasena's leave, Dhananjaya then proceeded (once more against
his foes), causing the earth and the welkin, O Bharata, to resound with
the rattle of his car. He was then surrounded by ten heroic and foremost
of warriors, viz., thy sons, all of whom were Duhshasana's juniors in
age. Afflicting Arjuna with their shafts like hunters afflicting an
elephant with burning brands, those heroes, with outstretched bow, seemed
to dance, O Bharata, (on their cars). The slayer of Madhu then, guiding
his, car placed all of them to his right. Indeed, he expected that Arjuna
would very soon send all of them to Yama's presence. Beholding Arjuna's
car proceeding in a different direction, those heroes rushed towards him.
Soon, however, Partha, with a number of cloth-yard shafts and
crescent-shaped arrows, cut off their standards and steeds and bows and
arrows, causing them to fall down on the earth. Then with some
broad-headed arrows he cut off and felled their heads decked with lips
bit and eyes blood-red in rage. Those faces looked beautiful like an
assemblage of lotuses. Having slain those ten Kauravas cased in golden
mail, with ten broad-headed shafts endued with great, impetuosity and
equipped with wings of gold that slayer of foes, Arjuna continued to
proceed.'"
81
"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile ninety Kaurava car-warriors rushed for battle
against the ape-bannered Arjuna who was advancing, borne by his steeds of
exceeding fleetness. Those tigers among men, having sworn a terrible oath
about the other world, encompassed that tiger among men, Arjuna. Krishna,
however, (without minding those warriors), urged the white steeds of
Arjuna, endued with great speed and adorned with ornaments of gold and
covered with networks of pearls, towards Karna's car. Those ninety
Samsaptaka cars pursued Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes, pouring upon him
showers of shafts, as he proceeded towards Karna's car. Then Arjuna, with
his keen shafts, cut off those ninety assailants endued with great
activity, along with their drivers and bows and standards. Slain by the
diadem-decked Arjuna with diverse kinds of shafts, they fell down like
Siddhas falling down, with their cars, from heaven upon the exhaustion of
their merits. After this, many Kauravas, with cars and elephants and
steeds, fearlessly advanced against that foremost one of Kuru's race,
that chief of the Bharatas, Phalguna. That large force of thy sons,
teeming with struggling men and steeds, and swelling with foremost of
elephants, then encompassed Dhananjaya, checking his further progress.
The mighty Kaurava bowmen shrouded that descendant of Kuru's race with
darts and swords and lances and spears and maces and scimitars and
arrows. Like the Sun destroying the darkness with his rays, the son of
Pandu destroyed with his own shafts that shower of weapons over-spread in
the welkin. Then a force of Mlecchas riding thirteen hundred
ever-infuriated elephants, at the command of thy son, assailed Partha in
the flank. With barbed arrows and Nalikas and cloth-yard shafts and
lances and spears and darts and Kampanas and short arrows, they afflicted
Partha on his car. That matchless shower of weapons, some of which were
hurled by the elephants with their tusks, Phalguna cut off with his
broad-headed shafts and crescent-shaped arrows of great keenness. With
excellent arrows of diverse kinds, he struck all those elephants and
their standards and banners and riders, like Indra striking mountains
with thunderbolts. Afflicted with gold-winged shafts, those huge
elephants decked with necklaces of gold fell down deprived of life, like
mountains ablaze with volcanic fires. Amid that roaring and shouting and
wailing army of men and elephants and steeds, the twang of Gandiva, O
monarch, rose high. Elephants, O king, struck (with shafts), fled away on
all sides. Steeds also, their riders slain, wandered in all directions.
Cars, O monarch, looking like the changeful forms of vapour in the sky,
deprived of riders and steeds, were seen in thousands. Horsemen, O
monarch, wandering hither and thither, were seen to fall down deprived of
life by the shafts of Partha. At that time the might of Arjuna's arms was
seen. (So great was that might) that alone, in that battle, he vanquished
horsemen and elephants and car-warriors (that had been assailing him from
every side). Then Bhimasena, beholding the diadem-decked Phalguna
encompassed, O bull of Bharata's race, by a large (Kaurava) host
consisting of three kinds of forces, abandoned the small unslaughtered
remnant of the Kaurava car-warriors with whom he had been engaged, and
rushed impetuously, O king, to the spot where Dhananjaya's car was.
Meanwhile the Kaurava force that still remained after heavy slaughter,
exceedingly weakened, fled away, Bhima (as already said) beholding
Arjuna, proceeded towards his brother. The unfatigued Bhima, armed with a
mace, destroyed, in that battle, the portion that still remained after
the greater part had been slaughtered by Arjuna, of the Kaurava host
possessed of great might. Fierce as the death-night, subsisting upon men
and elephants and steeds as its food, and capable of crushing walls and
mansions and gates of cities, that exceedingly terrible mace of Bhima
incessantly descended on men and elephants and steeds around him. That
mace, O sire, slew numberless steeds and riders. With that mace the son
of Pandu crushed men and steeds cased in steel armour. Struck therewith,
they fell down with great noise. Biting the earth with their teeth, and
bathed in blood, these, with the crowns of their heads and bows and lower
limbs crushed, laid themselves down on the field, supplying all
carnivorous creatures with food. Satiated with blood and flesh and
marrow, and eating bones as well, that mace (of Bhimasena) became, like
the death-night, difficult of being gazed at. Having slain 10,000 horses
and numerous foot-soldiers, Bhima ran hither and thither in rage, armed
with his mace. Then, O Bharata, thy troops, beholding Bhima mace in hand,
thought that Yama himself, armed with his fatal bludgeon, was in their
midst. The son of Pandu then, excited with rage, and resembling an
infuriated elephant, penetrated into the elephant division (of the
Kauravas), like a Makara entering the ocean. Having, with his formidable
mace, penetrated into that elephant division, the enraged Bhima, within a
very short time, despatched it to Yama's abode. We then beheld those
infuriated elephants with spiked plates on their bodies falling on every
side, with their riders and standards, like winged mountains. Having
destroyed that elephant division, the mighty Bhimasena, once more riding
on his car, followed Arjuna at his rear. That great host, thus
slaughtered, filled with cheerlessness and about to fly away, stood
almost inactive, O monarch, assailed on all sides with weapons. Beholding
that host looking humble and standing inactive and almost motionless,
Arjuna covered it with life-scorching shafts. Men and steeds and
elephants, pierced in that battle with showers of shafts by the wielder
of Gandiva, looked beautiful like Kadamva flowers with their filaments.
Thus struck with Arjuna's shafts that quickly slew men and steeds and
cars and elephants, loud wails, O king, arose from the Kuru army. With
cries of "Oh" and "Alas," and exceedingly frightened, and huddling close
to one another, thy army began to turn round with great speed. The
battle, however, continued between the Kurus and the Pandavas of great
might. There was not a single car-warrior or horseman or elephant-warrior
or steed or elephant that was unwounded. Their coats of mail pierced with
shafts and themselves bathed in blood, the troops looked blazing like a
forest of flowering Asokas. Beholding Savyasaci putting forth his valour
on that occasion, the Kauravas became hopeless of Karna's life. Regarding
the touch of Arjuna's shafts to be unbearable, the Kauravas, vanquished
by the wielder of Gandiva, fled from the field. Deserting Karna in that
battle as they were being thus struck with Arjuna's shafts, they fled
away in fear on all sides, loudly calling upon the Suta's son (to rescue
them). Partha, however, pursued them, shooting hundreds of shafts and
gladdening the Pandava warriors headed by Bhimasena. Thy sons then, O
monarch, proceeded towards the car of Karna. Sinking, as they seemed to
be, in a fathomless ocean, Karna then became an island unto them. The
Kauravas, O monarch, like snakes without poison, took Karna's shelter,
moved by the fear of the wielder of Gandiva. Indeed, even as creatures, O
sire, endued with actions, from fear of death, take the shelter of
virtue, thy sons, O ruler of men, from fear of the high-souled son of
Pandu, took shelter with the mighty bowman Karna. Then, Karna, uninspired
with fear, addressed those distressed warriors afflicted with arrows and
bathed in blood, saying, 'Do not fear! Come to me!" Beholding thy army
vigorously broken by Partha, Karna, stretching his bow, stood desirous of
slaughtering the foe. Seeing that the Kurus had left the field, Karna,
that foremost of all wielders of weapons, reflecting a little, set his
heart upon the slaughter of Partha and began to draw deep breaths.
Bending his formidable bow, Adhiratha's son Vrisha once more rushed
against the Pancalas, in the very sight of Savyasaci. Soon, however, many
lords of the earth, with eyes red as blood, poured their arrowy downpours
on him like clouds pouring rain upon a mountain. Then thousands of
arrows, O foremost of living creatures, shot by Karna, O sire, deprived
many Pancalas of their lives. Loud sounds of wailing were uttered by the
Pancalas, O thou of great intelligence, while they were being thus
smitten by the Suta's son, that rescuer of friends, for the sake of his
friends.'"
82
"Sanjaya said, 'After the Kurus, O king, had been put to flight by the
mighty car-warrior Arjuna of white steeds, the Suta's son Karna began to
destroy the sons of the Pancalas with his mighty shafts, like the tempest
destroying congregated masses of clouds. Felling Janamejaya's driver with
broad-faced shafts called Anjalikas, he next slew the steeds of that
Pancala warrior. With a number of broad-headed arrows he then pierced
both Satanika and Sutasoma and then cut off the bows of both those
heroes. Next he pierced Dhrishtadyumna with six arrows, and then, without
the loss of a moment, he slew in that encounter the steeds of that
prince. Having slain next the steeds of Satyaki, the Suta's son then slew
Visoka, the son of the ruler of the Kaikayas. Upon the slaughter of the
Kaikaya prince, the commander of the Kaikaya division, Ugrakarman, rushed
with speed and striking Prasena, the son of Karna, with many shafts of
fierce impetuosity caused him to tremble. Then Karna, with three
crescent-shaped arrows, cut off the arms and the head of his son's
assailant, whereupon the latter, deprived of life, fell down upon the
ground from his car, like a Sala tree with its branches lopped off with
an axe. Then Prasena, with many keen arrows of straight course, covered
the steedless grandson of Sini, and seemed to dance upon his car. Soon,
however, the son of Karna, struck by the grandson of Sini, fell down.
Upon the slaughter of his son, Karna, with heart filled with rage,
addressed that bull among the Sinis from desire of slaying him, saying,
"Thou art slain, O grandson of Sini!' and sped at him an arrow capable of
slaying all foes. Then Shikhandi cut off that arrow with three shafts of
his, and struck Karna himself with three other shafts. The fierce son of
the Suta then, cutting off with a couple of razor-faced arrows the bow
and the standard of Shikhandi, struck and pierced Shikhandi himself with
six shafts, and then cut off the head of Dhrishtadyumna's son. The
high-souled son of Adhiratha then pierced Sutasoma with a very keen
shaft. During the progress of that fierce battle, and after
Dhrishtadyumna's son had been slain, Krishna, O lion among kings,
addressed Partha, saying, "The Pancalas are being exterminated. Go, O
Partha, and slay Karna." Thus addressed the mighty-armed Arjuna, that
foremost of men, smiled and then proceeded on his car towards the car of
Adhiratha's son desirous, on that occasion of terror, of rescuing the
Pancalas slaughtered by Karna, that leader of car-warriors. Stretching
his Gandiva of loud twang and fiercely striking his palms with her
bow-string, he suddenly created a darkness by means of his arrows and
destroyed large numbers of men and steeds and cars and standards. The
echoes (of that twang) travelled through the welkin. The birds, (no
longer finding room in their own element), took shelter in the caverns of
mountains. With his full-drawn bow, Arjuna looked resplendent. Indeed, as
the diadem-decked Partha, at that terrible moment, fell upon the foe,
Bhimasena, that foremost of heroes, proceeded on his car behind that son
of Pandu, protecting his rear. Those two princes then, on their cars,
proceeded with great speed towards Karna, encountering their foes along
the way. During that interval, the Suta's son fought fiercely, grinding
the Somakas. He slew a large number of car-warriors and steeds and
elephants, and covered the ten points of the compass with his shafts.
Then Uttamauja and Janamejaya, and the enraged Yudhamanyu and Shikhandi,
uniting with Prishata's son (Dhrishtadyumna) and uttering loud roars,
pierced Karna with many shafts. Those five foremost of Pancala
car-warriors rushed against Karna otherwise called Vaikartana, but they
could not shake him off his car like the objects of the senses failing to
shake off the person of purified soul from abstinence. Quickly cutting
off their bows, standards, steeds, drivers and banners, with his shafts,
Karna struck each of them with five arrows and then uttered a loud roar
like a lion, People then became exceedingly cheerless, thinking that the
very earth, with her mountains and trees, might split at the twang of
Karna's bow while that hero, with shafts in hand touching the bow-string,
was employed in shooting at his assailants and slaying his foes. Shooting
his shafts with that large and extended bow of his that resembled the bow
of Sakra himself, the son of Adhiratha looked resplendent like the sun,
with his multitude of blazing rays, within his corona. The Suta's son
then pierced Shikhandi with a dozen keen shafts, and Uttamauja with half
a dozen, and Yudhamanyu with three, and then each of the other two, viz.,
Somaka (Janamejaya) and Prishata's son (Dhrishtadyumna) with three
shafts. Vanquished in dreadful battle by the Suta's son, O sire, those
five mighty car-warriors then stood inactive, gladdening their foes, even
as the objects of the senses are vanquished by a person of purified soul.
The five sons of Draupadi then, with other well-equipped cars, rescued
those maternal uncles of theirs that were sinking in the Karna ocean,
like persons rescuing from the depths of the ocean ship-wrecked merchants
in the sea by means of other vessels. Then that bull among the Sinis,
cutting off with his own keen shafts the innumerable arrows sped by
Karna, and piercing Karna himself with many keen arrows made entirely of
iron, pierced thy eldest son with eight shafts. Then Kripa, and the Bhoja
chief (Kritavarma), and thy son, and Karna himself, assailed Satyaki in
return with keen shafts. That foremost one, however, of Yadu's race
fought with those four warriors like the chief of the Daityas fighting
with the Regents of the (four) quarters. With his twanging bow stretched
to its fullest limits, and from which shafts flowed incessantly, Satyaki
became exceedingly irresistible like the meridian Sun in the autumnal
sky. Those scorchers of foes then, viz., the mighty car-warriors among
the Pancalas, once more riding on their cars and clad in mail and united
together, protected that foremost one among the Sinis, like the Maruts
protecting Sakra while engaged in afflicting his foes in battle. The
battle fraught with the slaughter of men and steeds and elephants that
then ensued between thy foes and the warriors of thy army, became so
fierce that it resembled the encounter in days of old between the gods
and the Asuras. Car-warriors and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers,
covered with showers of diverse weapons, began to move from one point to
another. Struck by one another, they reeled or uttered wails of woe in
affliction or fell down deprived of life. When such was the state of
affairs, thy son Duhshasana, the younger brother of the king, fearlessly
advanced against Bhima, shooting showers of shafts. Vrikodara also rushed
impetuously against him, like a lion springing towards a large Ruru deer.
The encounter then that took place between those two heroes incensed with
each other and who engaged in battle's sport making life itself the
stake, became exceedingly fierce, resembled that between Samvara and
Sakra in days of old. They struck each other deeply with shafts possessed
of great energy and capable of piercing each other's body, like two
mighty elephants excited with lust and with juicy secretions incessantly
trickling down their bodies, fighting with each other in the vicinity of
a she-elephant in her season. Vrikodara, with great speed, cut off, with
a couple of razor-headed arrows, the bow and the standard of thy son.
With another winged arrow he pierced his antagonist's forehead and then
(with a fourth) cut off from his trunk the head of the latter's driver.
Prince Duhshasana, taking up another bow, pierced Vrikodara with a dozen
shafts. Himself holding the reins of his steeds, he once more poured over
Bhima a shower of straight arrows. Then Duhshasana sped a shaft bright as
the rays of the sun, decked with gold, diamonds, and other precious gems,
capable of piercing the body of his assailant, and irresistible as the
stroke of Indra's thunder. His body pierced therewith, Vrikodara fell,
with languid limbs and like one deprived of life and with outstretched
arms, upon his own excellent car. Recovering his senses, however, he
began to roar like a lion.'"
83
"Sanjaya said, 'Fighting fiercely, prince Duhshasana achieved the most
difficult feats in that encounter. With a single shaft he cut off Bhima's
bow, and then with six shafts he pierced his foe's driver. Having
achieved those feats, the prince, endued with great activity, pierced
Bhima himself with nine shafts. Indeed the high-souled warrior, without
losing a moment, then pierced Bhimasena with many shafts of great energy.
Filled with rage at this, Bhimasena, endued with great activity, sped at
thy son a fierce dart. Beholding that terrible dart impetuously coursing
towards him like a blazing brand, thy high-souled son cut it off with ten
shafts shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Seeing that
difficult feat achieved by him, all the warriors, filled with joy,
applauded him highly. Thy son then once more pierced Bhima deeply with
another shaft. Blazing with wrath at sight of Duhshasana, Bhima then
addressed him, saying, "Pierced I have been, O hero, quickly and deeply,
by thee. Bear now, however, once more, the stroke of my mace." Having
said this, the enraged Bhima took up that terrible mace of his for
Duhshasana's slaughter. Once more addressing him, he said, "O thou of
wicked soul, I shall today drink thy blood on the field of battle." Thus
addressed, thy son sped at Bhima with great force a fierce dart
resembling Death itself. Bhima also, his form filled with wrath, whirled
his terrible mace and hurled it at his antagonist. That mace,
precipitately breaking Duhshasana's dart, struck thy son on his head.
Indeed, perspiring like an elephant with juicy secretions trickling down
his body, Bhima, in that dreadful battle, hurled his mace at the prince.
With that weapon, Bhimasena forcibly threw Duhshasana down from his car
at a distance measured by the length of ten bows. Struck with the
impetuous mace, Duhshasana, thrown down on the ground, began to tremble.
All his steeds also, O king, were slain, and his car too was reduced to
atoms by that falling weapon. As regards Duhshasana himself, his armour
and ornaments and attire and garlands were all displaced, and he began to
writhe, afflicted with agony. Endued with great activity, Bhimasena then
recollected, in the midst of that terrible battle and standing as he did
amid many foremost warriors of the Kuru army, all the acts of hostility
(done towards the Pandavas) by thy sons. The mighty-armed Bhima of
inconceivable feats, O king, beholding Duhshasana (in that plight), and
recollecting the seizure of Draupadi's tresses and her disrobing while
she was ill, - indeed, the innocent Bhima, reflecting also upon the
diverse other wrongs inflicted on that princess while her husbands sat
with faces turned away from the scene, blazed up in wrath like fire fed
with libations of clarified butter. Addressing Karna and Suyodhana and
Kripa and Drona's son and Kritavarma, he said, "Today I shall slay the
wretched Duhshasana. Let all the warriors protect him (if they can)."
Having said this, Bhima of exceeding strength and great activity suddenly
rushed, from desire of slaying Duhshasana. Like a lion of fierce
impetuosity rushing towards a mighty elephant, Vrikodara, that foremost
of heroes, rushed towards Duhshasana in that battle and attacked him in
the very sight of Suyodhana and Karna. Jumping down from his car, he
alighted on the ground, and fixed his eyes steadfastly on his fallen foe.
Drawing then his whetted sword of keen edge, and trembling with rage, he
placed his foot upon the throat of Duhshasana, and ripping open the
breast of his enemy stretched on the ground, quaffed his warm life-blood.
Then throwing him down and cutting off, O king, with that sword the head
of thy son, Bhima of great intelligence, desirous of accomplishing his
vow, again quaffed his enemy's blood little by little, as if for enjoying
its taste. Then looking at him with wrathful eyes, he said these words,
"I regard the taste of this blood of my enemy to be superior to that of
my mother's milk, or honey, or clarified butter, or good wine that is
prepared from honey, or excellent water, or milk, or curds, or skimmed
milk, or all other kinds of drinks there are on earth that are sweet as
ambrosia or nectar." Once more, Bhima of fierce deeds, his heart filled
with wrath, beholding Duhshasana dead, laughed softly and said, "What
more can I do to thee? Death has rescued thee from my hands." They, O
king, that saw Bhimasena, while he filled with joy at having quaffed the
blood of his foe, was uttering those words and stalking on the field of
battle, fell down in fear. They that did not fall down at the sight, saw
their weapons drop from their hands. Many, from fear, cried out feebly
and looked at Bhima with half-shut eyes. Indeed, all those that stood
around Bhima and beheld him drink the blood of Duhshasana, fled away,
overwhelmed with fear, and saying unto one another, "This one is no human
being!" When Bhima had assumed that form, people, beholding him quaff his
enemy's blood, fled away with Citrasena, saying unto one another, 'This
Bhima must be a rakshasa!" Then the (Pancala) prince Yudhamanyu, at the
head of his troops, fearlessly pursued the retreating Citrasena and
pierced him with seven keen shafts, quickly sped one after another. At
this, like a trampled snake of great energy repeatedly darting out its
tongue and desirous of vomiting its poison, Citrasena turned back and
pierced the Pancala prince with three shafts and his driver with six. The
brave Yudhamanyu then struck off his enemy's head with a shaft equipped
with goodly wings and an exceedingly keen point and sped with great care
from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Upon the fall of his brother
Citrasena, Karna, filled with wrath and displaying his prowess, put the
Pandava host to flight, at which Nakula rushed against that warrior of